Manifold valve assembly



Feb. 17, 1970 N. G. KUNG 3,495,624

v MANIFOLD VALVE' ASSEMBLY Filed Aug 51, 1967 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 137-637 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valve assembly includes a plurality of C-shaped valve bodies clamped about a lvalve rotor which is journalled to a base. A latch plate releasably latches all of the bodies into a common angular relationship with the rotor. Each of the valve bodies has two radial bores. The rotor has a respective chordal notch for each body adapted to intercouple the radial bores therein when the bodies and rotor are in a rst angular relationship, and a central longitudinal bore and a respective radial bore opening thereon for each body adapted to intercouple the central longitudinal bore to one of said radial bores of said body, the other radial bore of said body being obturated by said rotor, when the bodies and rotor are in a second angular relationship. Each body may be delatched and swung out of relationship from the remaining bodies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION circuits concurrently.

Prior art A valve embodying this invention is particularly adapted for use in an automatic analytical system such as is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,241,432, issued on Mar. 22, 1966, to L. T. Skeggs et al. In such a system, a

plurality of samples are sequentially transmitted through u a conduit as a owing stream, which stream is divided into a plurality of parallel, quotient streams, each quotient stream comprising `a plurality of sequential, respective sample subportions. Each quotient stream is individually, continuously treated for the determination of the concentration of at least one particular constituent therein, and thus for each sequential sample subportion. This treatment and determination customarily includes the addition of an appropriate stream of reagent to the respective quotient stream, appropriate mixing and heating,

stream is much larger than the volumetric rate of ow of the sample quotient stream. Y

At the end of the days operation, or at any other time, it may be desirable to wash out one, some, or all of the conduits which are downstream from the respective points of addition of reagent to sample, or to merely have the system mechanically operating on a neutral liquid, as when no samples are being entered in that one particular sample line but are being entered in other sample lines which are being pumped by the sa-me pump. To accomplish this previously, it was necessary to manually remove the respective reagent inlet tubes from their respective source-containers, and to insert these inlet tubes into a source of wash liquid. This generally requires individual wash liquid source-containers, and is an incon- Venient, and slow procedure.

3,495,624 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 Nice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a valve which will switch a plurality of hydraulic circuits `from one configuration to another configuration, for example, in an automatic analysis system as above described, to Iswitch the several reagent in-feed tubes to and from their respective reagent source-containers and a common source of wash liquid or to permit the switching of selected ones of such circuits from the one conguration to the other contiguration, while the remaining ones of such circuits remain in that other conguration.

The principle of this invention comprises a valve assembly including valve body means having a lplurality of coaxial, side-by-side, valve bodies, each having at least two radial bores, for the passage in and out of the valve body of the respective reagent, and a valve rotor disposed through the valve bodies, said rotor having a plurality of passageways, each for intercoupling the radial bores in a respective valve body when said rotor is disposed in one angular position with respect to said bodies, and having a central longitudinal bore with a plurality of radial bores opening thereon, each for intercoupling the central longitudinal bore to one of said bores in each valve body respectively when said rotor is in a different angular position with respect to said bodies. Further, each valve body may be rotated individually with respect to the rotor so that the rotor is disposed in said different angular position with respect to such valve body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a left end view of the embodiment of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a right end view of FIG. l, in a cross-section taken along the plane 33.

The valve assembly comprises a spacer plate 10, having a front part 12 with a plurality of laterally spaced apart vertically elongated apertures 14, here shown as ten in number, a like plurality of circular apertures 16 respectively formed therebelow; a bottom part 18, a bent up left side part 20, and a bent up right side part 22. A left side plate 24 is xed to the left side part 20 by a plurality lof bolts and nuts 26, and, similarly a right side plate 28 is Xed to the right side part 22 by a plurality of bolts and nuts 30. Each of the side plates 2.4 and 28 has a central aperture 32 into which is ttted a bushing 34, respectively.

A rotor 36 is disposed through and beyond the bushings 34. The left hand portion 38 of the rotor, which extends beyond the bushing has a diametrical hole into which is xed the reduced end of a handle 40 and secured by a machine screw 42. Disposed on the ro-tor 36, and between the side plates 24 and 28, are a plurality, here shown as ten, of valve bodies 44. Each body is of substantially cylindrical construction, having a central bore 46 through which passes the rotor 36 as a press lit, a radial split 48 which converts the cylinder into a C-Shape; and a machine screw 50 having a socket head, a nut 52 and two washers, disposed through a chordal bore 54 and serving to tighten the body on the rotor. Further, each body has a first radial,

bore 56 into which a nipple 58 is press tted, a second radial bore `60 into -which a nipple 62 is press fitted, an.

interrupted radial bore 64 into which a handle 66 is press fitted, and an arcuate slot `68. The bodies are disposed on the rotor in alignment with the various bores in parallel, and with the bodies regularly spaced apart. The rotor has a central longitudinal bore 70, into Whose right end a nipple 72 is press fitted, and Whose left end terminates blind under the left-most valve body 44. Further, the rotor has a plurality of chordal notches 74, one under each body, and a plurality of radial bores 76 opening into the central bore 70. The bores 76, 56, and 60 are radially spaced apart by equal angles, here shown as The chordal notch 74 subtends the same angle, e.g. 30, and is adapted to provide a coupling passageway between the bores 56 and 60. The arcuate slot 68 also subtends the same angle, e.g. 30, and is spaced from the bore 56 by the same angle, e.g.

v30". The handles 66 pass respectively through the vertically elongated apertures 14 in the front part of the spacer plate. A support rod 78 is disposed through the arcuate slots 68 in each of the bodies and through an aperture in the left side plate 24 and a similar aperture in the right side plate 28. The rod is threaded at its ends and held to the plates by a plurality of nuts 84.

The left side plate 24 has two ears 80, 82 extending therefrom, to limit the swing of the handle 40. The handle may be disposed in either of two extreme positions. In the position shown in FIG. 3, the ear 80 abuts the handle, which disposes the rotor 36 so that the notches 74 intercouple the bores 56 and 60 in the respective bodies, while the bores 76 in the rotor are closed by the respective bodies. In the alternative position, the ear S2 abuts the handle, Which disposes the rotor 36 so that the bores 76 in the rotor are aligned with the respective bores 56, and the bores 60 are closed by the rotor.

A latch plate 85 is disposed in front of the front part 12 and is slidably secured thereto by three studs 86, iixed to the latch plate and projecting rearwardly through three, respective, horizontally elongated holes 88 in the front part 12. A stud 90 is xed to the rear of the front part 12 and a tension spring 92 is secured to and between the lower stud S6 and the stud 90 to bias the latch plate right- Wardly, as seen in FIG. l. The latch plate has a plurality of L-shaped apertures 94 equal in number to the apertures 14, and overlying the same. The handles 66 pass not only through the respective apertures 14, but also through the apertures 94. Normally all of the handles 66 are in their downwardly directed disposition, as shown in FIG. l, and are each disposed in the toe part of the L-shaped aperture. The spring 92 biases the latch plate rightwardly, and the latch plate serves to lock all of the handles in the downwardly directed disposition. With this downwardly directed or counter-clockwise disposition of the valve handles 66, and =with the rotor-handle 40 in its clockwise disposition, as shown in FIG. 3, the cho-rdal notches 74 in the rotor couple the bores 56 and 60 in the respective valve bodies. In an automatic analysis system of the type described previously, each bore 60 would be coupled to a respective source of reagent, and each bore 56 would be coupled to a respective pump tube for transmitting the reagent to the respective sample stream.

If it is desired to substitute a supply of wash liquid for reagent to any one or more of the sample streams, then the latch plate is moved leftwardly against ythe tension of the spring 92, to align the;'body handles 66 with the legparts of the respective L-shaped apertures, and selected one o-r more body handles may be moved upwardly, rotating the respective valve body clockwise, overcoming the friction between that particular valve body and the rotor. The respective radial bore 76 in the rotor will now be aligned with the bore 56 of the selected valve body. A supply of Iwash liquid coupled to the central longitudinal bore 70 of the rotor, via the nipple 72, will pass through the respective radial bore 76 into the bore S6 and on to the respective pump tube. Meanwhile the bore 60 will be decoupled from the bore 56 by the periphery of the rotor. The angular alignments of the valve bodies and the rotor are controlled by the two ears 80 and 82 for the rotor handle; and the vertical extent of the apertures 14 and 94 for the valve body handles, and the angular extent of the arcuate slots 68 for the support rod 78. Should it be desired to substitute wash liquid for reagent for all of the reagents, then the rotor handle 40 is swung counter clockwise, which will align the radial bores 76 of the rotor with the bores 56 of the respective valve bodies. Any valve bodies which may have been previously rotated to substitute wash liquid for reagent will be carried around by the rotor by friction coupling and will maintain their mutual alignment. It will be noted that when the rotor handle is swung to the counter-clockwise, wash portion, all of the valve body handles will be in their downwardly directed dispositions, and will be locked by the latch plate.

What is claimed is: 1. A valve assembly, comprising: valve body means including a plurality of longitudinally adjacent valve bodies, each of said bodies having a longitudinal bore, two radial bores opening onto said longitudinal bore; a longitudinally extending valve rotor disposed through said longitudinal bores of said valve bodies, having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart passageways opening onto the periphery of said rotor and adapted to intercouple said two radial bores in each of said valve bodies when said rotor and said valve bodies are disposed in a first angular relationship, and having a central longitudinal bore with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart radial bores opening thereon, each adapted to intercouple said central longitudinal bore to a predetermined one of said radial bores in each of said valve bodies respectively when said rotor and said valve bodies are disposed in a second angular relationship. 2. A valve assembly according to claim 1 further inr cluding latch means for releasably holding said valve bodies in a common relationship with said valve rotor.

3. A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said passageways in said rotor is substantially a chordal notch.

4. A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said valve bodies is a C-shaped member.

5. A valve assembly according to claim 4 wherein each of said valve bodies further includes means for clamping said C-shaped member about said valve rotor.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein:

said valve rotor is journalled on a base,

said latch means includes a plurality of radial projections, one projection extending from each of said valve bodies respectively, and a plurality of projection receiving and releasably retaining means mounted on said base, each adapted to receive and retain a respective one of said projections, whereby one or more selected projections may be released from their respective retaining means and the respective valve bodies may be rotated with respect to said valve rotor and the remaining valve bodies.

7. In an automatic analysis apparatus having a plurality of iirst conduits through'each Vof which arev respectively transmitted sequentially a plurality of liquid y sarnples as a owing stream and a like plurality of second conduits respectively coupled to said iirst conduits for the transmission thereinto of a different liquid, the improvement of a valve assembly, comprising:

valve body means including a like plurality of longitudinally adjacent valve bodies, each of said bodies having a longitudinal bore, and two radial bores 'opening onto said longitudinal bore, one of said radial bores being coupled to a respective one of said second conduits and the other of said radial bores being coupled to a source of reagent liquid;

a longitudinally extending valve rotor disposed through said longitudinal bores of said Valve bodies, having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart passageways opening onto the periphery of said rotor and adapted to intercouple said two radial bores in each of said valve bodies when said rotor and said valve bodies are disposed in a rst angular relationship, and having a central longitudinal bore, coupled to a source of neutral liquid, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart radial bores opening thereon, each adapted to intercouple said central longitudinal bore to said ones of said radial bores in each of said valve bodies respectively when said rotor and said valve bodies are disposed in a second angular relationship.

8. In an apparatus according to claim 7, a valve assembly further including latch means having a rst position adapted to permit one or more of said valve bodies to be a common angular relationship and a second position adapted to permit one or more of said valve bodies to be rotated from said common angular relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CLARENCE R. GORDON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 137-608 

